BNP Paribas Open: Feliciano Lopez vs. Tommy Paul 10/07/21 Tennis Prediction

Local American, Tommy Paul, meets the experienced veteran, Feliciano Lopez, in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday, October 7th, 2021.

Will we see Tommy Paul give his local American crowd something to cheer about right from the get-go here in Indian Wells, or will Feliciano Lopez show us that he is still around and that age is just a number when you look after your body?

Tommy Paul will be aiming to find the amazing form which he had at both the Toronto and Cincinnati Masters this year in similar hot hard court conditions where he played some strong tennis against some big names. Tommy is a very underrated player in the American tennis scene, with him being very consistent week in and week out, and he can beat most players in similar ranking positions. Tommy does not have one huge asset in his game, but it is rather an overall good game. Can he go far here in Indian Wells?

Feliciano Lopez is coming into this tournament as he does in most tournaments I believe in 2021, with not many expectations, just coming out aiming to play his best at 40 years of age. Feliciano is still in great physical form, but his game of serve and volleying is definitely something which is not as prominent in the game anymore, with the game having evolved. Feliciano will have to hope that his lefty serve gets him on top of points early and is really accurate, because if not, I am unsure he can compete at his best anymore.

Both players have played an ATP Tour match against each other before, and recently as well. They met last year in Antwerp in indoor hard court conditions, where Lopex won in straight sets against Tommy. Although Feliciano won, when you look at the conditions, the serve of Lopez was a huge factor in that match. When it comes to the conditions here in Indian Wells, the serve is not as important. Also, comparing these two and their form this year, Tommy has the advantage. I expect a tight one, but Tommy will give something to cheer about for the American crowd.